El Paso was No. 9 on the list of the 20 best metro areas for quality of life. The rankings were compiled based on topics such as crime rates, education, morning commute times, quality, well-being and availability of health care.

"These parts of the country are best for your health, happiness and safety," stated a headline in the rankings report.

El Paso received high marks for being "one of the safest metro areas in the country," the report said.

El Paso was one of three Texas cities and one of three cities on the Mexican border on the list.

Austin was No. 11, San Diego was No. 10 and McAllen, on the border with Mexico in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, took the spot as the top city for quality of life due in part to a well-regarded school system and a daily commute time of less than 22 minutes.

"It is always great to see when others outside of our community acknowledge just how great El Paso truly is,” Mayor Oscar Leeser said in a statement. “El Paso is an amazing city with a lot of great qualities and now people across the country are realizing that El Paso is not only a safe city, but a prosperous city with so much to offer.”

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